That HFT accounts for a large share of daily trading does not mean it moves stock prices. Prices move in response to marginal changes in the bid and ask of prices, not in response to sheer volume. Big price moves generate big volume, not the other way around

With interest rates at or near historic lows, you may think it is time to flee the bond market. Don't. "Despite the talk of a bond bubble or a bond bear market, it’s not the end of the world for a diversified investor," says one market watcher.

Analysts said that the results of Wednesday’s 10-year $21 billion Treasury auction gave a clear signal that investors have a healthy appetite for U.S. government debt and will serve as a bellwether for how those auctions will perform going forward.

So has the big opportunity in fixed income expired? Gross seems to think so, and we tend to agree. Given the extraordinary amount of government spending and soaring federal budget deficits, we believe inflation is likely to rear its ugly head within 2-3 years.

The recent slump in housing is making some analysts uneasy about a recovery that looked sustainable just a couple months ago and comes as the Fed is nearing the end of a program to support the mortgage market.

If you haven’t maxed out your 401k/403b contributions at work, you are eligible to take advantage of what is known as the catch-up provision. In essence, if you haven’t saved as much as legally possible every year you’ve been working, you are able to contribute an extra $5,500 per year (over and above the legal limit - $16,500) into your retirement plan in 2010.

If a largely tax-free return on your investment isn’t already good enough, if you’re still jittery about the market, you might be looking for a less risky alternative to stocks and even some fixed income vehicles.